Brokedown Palace
by MorphineSun
Summary: Sometimes, what emotional stimulation that could not be obtained through gentleness and kindness often was compensated for by brutality and pain.  Chick on the island story. I tried to make it the least cliche as possible.
1. Chapter 1  Crimson

_Lord of The Flies Fan Fiction _

**Well, here it goes. Another cliché fan fiction on Lord of The Flies in which there just happens one other girl on the island amongst the boys. I wrote this pretty fast, so excuse me if the quality isn't top notch. I just had to kind of get this out of my system. I'm not even sure if I'm going to finish it. Anyway, Lord of The Flies does not belong to me, only the chick character and my make-believe plot. By the way, I tried to make this little romance story have the least amount of cheesiness. Also, I kind of upped the age of the boys to about 15/16. Oh, and this takes place in modern times. Read, review, whatever.**

Dull. That was Jenny's life. She wasn't very sociable. At all. She was nice, of course, but only out of politeness and inability to say much else. She kept most of her thoughts to herself, and in that way, it gave her prospects to the richness and excitement that life had the potential to hold. But, of course, her life did not hold much else. She was the burn-out loner. She sat alone at lunch, violently bringing notebooks to life with creepy, yet beautiful images. She sat on her bed at home in the afternoon when she should have been with friends. When she had the house to herself every once and a while, she would smoke cigarettes in her room and blow the wafts of smoke out the window. She was no dummy, though. She scored all A's without trying. And she wasn't a total loner, she had friends with whom she would exchange passive smiles and waves at. Friends she could make small talk and small jokes with. And she supposed that was good enough. She only had to wait until she went to collage before the world was hers. She would live on her own and make a new person for herself. A rebirth. She couldn't wait. But until then, she had to be shipped off to Fiji with her father for the next few days. Her father was a pilot, and she frequently flew with him to interesting and exotic places around the world. She was no stranger to flying and to sitting in airports. The best part, she thought, was that her and her father were excused from passing through security. That meant she could tote around whatever she pleased without getting caught. That meant her cigarettes and vodka, carefully kept inside a very tightly sealed water bottle, could come to Fiji with her. But Jenny and her father were not going to be the only ones on the flight, Jenny thought. Jenny also knew that there were going to be boys on the flight, as well. 24 boys, all from military schools in England. _Well_, Jenny thought, _at least I'm only going to have to be breathing the same air as them from the time it takes to get from Los Angels, California, to the airport in Fiji_. Why little military school boys were going to Fiji was beyond her…

Ralph sat solemnly in the middle seat of his row as the other boys boarded the plane. He knew none of them. He was thumping his left leg up and down, lost in thought, as someone tapped on his shoulder. He looked up, to find the face of another boy looking down on him. The boy had deep red hair and freckles spilled out across his face. His eyes were blue, and had a sort of cloudy misfortune to them. He wore a slick smile, and asked Ralph if he would please move aside, that he needed to get to the window seat. The boy with the red hair smiled at Ralph again. "Hi, sorry if I bothered you," he said. "I'm Jack. Jack Merridew." Ralph smiled back and introduced himself. "Well then Ralph, I bet you didn't know that I'm head choir boy at school and I can sing C sharp. Took me forever to learn…" Jack trailed off in thought as he looked around the plane. The last of the boys had boarded and were seated. He could see out of the corner of his eye the pilot slip into the cockpit. Jack, whom had lost interest in Ralph, continued to look about. The other boys seemed to still be in the stage of awkward introduction to one another, but they chatted and smiled with one another. Ralph then looked away from Jack, and towards the isle of the plane. He then saw a fantastic looking girl waltz clumsily down the isle. She had choppy dark brown hair that was rumpled and hitting her shoulder. She had bangs that clipped the right side of her face. Her eyes were a milky, creamy, chocolaty brown with a hollow and distant, yet wise and passionate, glow. She had dark black eyeliner smeared across her eyelids. She wore a Led Zeppelin t-shirt underneath a beaten black leather jacket, and dark jeans that hugged her legs until they belled out a bit at the calf. She wore moccasins that had several rips and tears in them, hastily covered with duct tape. She had a disheveled majesty in her that Ralph could see and sense. He desperately wanted her to sit in the empty seat next to him. She locked eyes with his for a second, and he could feel their intensity. She sighed as she looked at the lack of seats that were to her preference, and slid down next to Ralph. Ralph instantly took this opportunity to talk with her. "Hi!" he said, perhaps a little bit too cheerfully. "Hi," she said back, kind of dragging the last sounds of the "I". She had a rich, laid back voice. "My name's Ralph… What's yours?" _Oh God_, Ralph thought, _I sound like a damn kindergartener_. She dredged up a polite smile. "I'm Jenny." Jenny was used to this. Introductory talk. Quick, easy, meant nothing. Then, to Jenny's surprise the foul looking redhead piped up and . said "My name's Jack" He smiled as well, a slow smirk. Jenny raised her hand as some kind of lame waving gesture paired with, again, a polite smile. _Too much smiling_, she thought to herself. _But that blonde boy, Ralph as he says, is awful cute. _As she felt the plane jerk, a sensation she was used to, she took out her headphones, partly because she was dieing to hear how her copy of _Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective _by The Brian Jonestown Massacrewas going to sound, but also as a way to blissfully distract herself from having to make small talk. Again.

Ralph couldn't believe it. That girl, Jenny, actually sat next to him. Sure, it was really the only logical choice unless she wanted to sit next to those 7 year olds, but still. It was a nice feeling, having her next to him. He became conscious of his English accent as he thought of her drawling California accent. He compared them in his mind for a while. Jenny was thinking deeply of her usual, outwardly dull presence and how it clashed from how she really was on the inside. She swore to herself that if any of these boys wanted to talk or be friendly, she wouldn't play the fool. She was going to go for it. She was sick of being so passive. She shut her eyes tighter and scratched her nose. She could feel Ralph next to her, taking long breaths, and decided she should take advantaged of whatever quite time she had left. Ralph looked back at Jenny. Jenny had begun to listen to something, and he became curious. Well, not necessarily, but he just wanted to talk with her badly. He nervously tapped her shoulder. Her eyes, which had been shut, fluttered open and turned to slits. She took out her earphones, and suddenly Ralph became stuttering and embarrassed. "Uh, I'm sorry but…" He turned red, sorry to have disturbed her. Jenny was going to say something along the usual 'oh it's okay' spiel, but her promise to herself told her otherwise. She grinned at Ralph and spoke "Whadya want?" Ralph's mild hazel eyes glazed over and he said "Uh, well, like I said I'm sorry for, uh, you know, disturbing you, but I wanted to know what you were listening to…" Jenny was pleased. She liked were this conversation could lead. Music was something she could really talk about. "The Brain Jonestown Massacre," She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ralph looked briefly perplexed. "Well, just wondering..." He said shyly. She jumped up a little. "You mean you've never heard them?" She said in disbelief. Ralph shrugged and smiled. "Here, take these," She handed him the headphones and turned it back to the first track. "I'm going to make you listen to the whole damn thing and if you don't like it then I'm going to sit next to that slobbery little kid over there." She grinned as Ralph agreed, taking this task seriously. She pushed play, and watched Ralph as he intently listened. She then looked at the redhead, Jack, who had been throwing them glances over his shoulder earlier. But now he was sound asleep, his head rested against the plastic frame of the window.

During the duration of the album, Ralph asked little questions and made brief comments here and there, only to be shushed by Jenny. She automatically turned the volume up on her favorite tracks, and the volume down on some of the others. Once it was finished, Ralph took off the headphones and handed them back to Jenny. "So? Wasn't that the most amazing thing you've ever heard?" To which Ralph replied, "Not bad, honestly. Not my type, but cool" Jenny looked at him. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting you to know much about them. They never really got that much success." It was after that where Jenny launched into a richly garnished music conversation with Ralph. Jenny had never had so much to say in her life. Ralph laughed and smiled and supplemented with his small knowledge, claiming "being a military student doesn't give much time for that kind of stuff." To which Jenny rolled her eyes and said "How stupid. Sorry if that offends you, but military stuff pisses me off." Then, as if on cue, the wing of the plane began to shudder and flop wildly as plumes of smoke billowed of the wing. The last thing Jenny remembered before losing consciousness was the startled look on Jack's face as he awoke from his slumber, the screams of children, the look of concern on Ralph's face, and the intoxicating smell of harsh fumes and how beautifully ugly the crimson flames looked spewing out from the side of the plane.

Sunlight slanted and radiated warmth all along the breath taking coast. Jenny sat up, slowly at first, and then looked around quickly jumping to her feet. For a minute, there was a wall of glittering stars in front of her line of vision, and she felt as though she was going to fall over, but soon the sensation disappeared and she was able to walk normally...

**Well kiddies, should the story go on?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well I have decided to press on with my story. No, it's not my pride and joy, bet yes, I shall defend it's existence. **

As Jenny meandered her way towards the main area of the beach, she noticed that in her hands she was still clutching the water bottle filled with vodka. She recounted that she had been reaching for it not too long before the plane went down, waiting for the right moment to spruce up her conversation with the blonde, Ralph. Oh well, she thought. I'm sure this island will need a lot more sprucing up than the flight.

Later down the island, Jenny stumbled across the rather rough looking pair of Ralph and some chubby kid she remembered briefly glancing at on the plane. They had been cradling something in their hands, a large shell. Their heads turned towards her, finally acknowledging her presence.

Ralph couldn't resist but grin.

"Hey, nice to see _you _again," she said dryly. She turned to the chubby kid "I don't suppose I've met you yet, have I?"

"N-no. I'm-" Ralph cut him off. "His name is Piggy." The boy, Piggy, shot Ralph a very sour and disappointed look.

Jenny looked down at her hand, still holding on to her water bottle and, suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. Her hands instinctively fluttered to the breast pocket of her leather jacket. She patted the inside of it and found her lighter and pack of cigarettes perfectly intact, except the carton was little squished. She let out a sigh of relief and pulled one cigarette out of the fresh carton and lit it. The toxic fumes quickly filled her lungs, comforting her nerves.

Ralph frowned. Piggy spoke up, quite upset. "Please, I can't breath any of that. Go away, you'll cause my asthma to start."

Instead of relocating, Jenny just turned around and faced the sea. It all felt like a dream. This was all to weird. Ralph came up behind her, and she faced him, lifting an eyebrow and blowing a cloud of smoke in his face. He coughed and waved it away.

"Where did you get those?" He asked, obviously displeased.

Jenny shrugged, "I had them with me. I don't have to go through security. This is the first time, though, that I'm seriously happy about that."

Ralph sighed and said "Well, whatever." Jenny glanced back at Ralph smiling, and held the cigarette out to him. He shook his head furiously and went back to Piggy.

"Now I think we ought to blow this conch. Call the others" Said Piggy. It was evident that Ralph and Piggy had been discussing this matter before her arrival. She bent down and took off her moccasins and rolled up her jeans and went ankle deep into the ocean. She dipped the very tip of her cigarette into the water, letting the end harden without ruining the rest, deciding that she would have to preserve her resources.

Joining Ralph and Piggy, she stood next to them and awaited what would come next. Ralph took a deep breath and blew into the shell, producing a sound that reverberated into the trees. It reminded Jenny of those movies that would be on the cartoon channel when she was younger. The kind that took place in some surfing town where everyone was cool and some surfer guy with tribal tattoos would foolishly try to blow a conch to no avail.

Jenny figured it would be better to await others in the shade and comfort of the trees bordering the beach. She found a trunk that extended outwards towards the beach, angling up. It had a limb on it towards the middle that made it possible to recline and stay supported in the tree. She climbed the branch and perched herself on it. Ralph and Piggy were not to far behind her. They paced around, and eventually found logs of their own to sit on, more towards the center, yet still within close proximity to hers.

Soon, there were audible rustles in the bushes not too much further away. There was an air for anticipation, and what emerged from the clearings and the bushes could have produced anyone. So it turned out, it produced quite the crowd.


	3. Chapter 3

Not sure of what time it was, Ralph guessed it was mid to late afternoon by the position of the sun over the sea. After the sound of the conch, other boys, aging similarly to him or to as young as 6 or 7, began to appear into the clearing. There was the redhead, Jack, who appeared with a posse of other boys, supposedly in a choir. He was accompanied by a boy with black hair and a broody, gloomy facial expression. Off to the side stood another boy, also with black hair, who looked off into the forest intently. He did not speak.

Ralph looked back over a Jenny. She paid little interest as to what was going on in the circle of boys now assembled. She looked drearily out to the ocean, and fiddled with her fingernail. Her hand kept reaching towards her breast pocket, but always at the last second an invisible force would pull it back to it's resting place, scraping nail polish off her thumb.

At last Ralph spoke to the boys.

"Hello," he started, timidly. At this, Jenny, while still bored, positioned her head on her perch on the limb so she could watch what the others were doing. Ralph went on speaking, but Jenny was not really listening. She was looking around, taking in the different array of boys. Some of them looked back at her, with questioning gazes. Jenny could guess what they were thinking. Probably for some of them, she jokingly assumed, it was their fist time seeing any female outside of their own home.

Finally, Jenny grew anxious enough. She pulled the cigarette she dampened earlier and lit it. At this, some of the kids looked up at her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jack said, speaking to her for the first time since the flight.

As a form of response, she just smiled at him and turned her attention back to the sea. Jack rolled his eyes.

"One girl on the island. And a bitchy one, too. How lucky of us." Jack said this with only a little bit of sarcasm.

"Who said I was a bitch?" Jenny questioned, toying with the words as they escaped her lips.

Jack rolled his eyes a second time. "I did. Now anyway, I think there needs to be a chief on this island. I should be chief. After all, I am in charge of the choir."

Jenny scoffed. "You? Chief?" She laughed a relaxed chuckle. "I think I should be chief," she said, raising her hand. She laughed to herself again and then took a final drag of her cigarette before stamping it out on the trunk and flinging the butt into the grass.

Ignoring Jenny's casual suggestion, most of the boys piped up, saying that Ralph should be in charge. Ralph was flattered, but did not show it. Jack showed embarrassment, his checks turning red. Jenny turned towards the sea again, showing her disinterest in the trivial voting .

Jack looked around the crowd. His brow was furrowed. He did not like Jenny. He did not like anyone who questioned his authority. Something inside jack told him that he needed to retain power. He felt defeated over this small loss. He looked at Ralph. Ralph, to him, was the definition of mild. Mild eyes, mild temperament, mild skin. The only thing that stood out about his appearance, thought Jack, was his golden hair and certain, ungraspable intensity in his eyes. He was handso-

Jack cut off himself from that thought. No, no no no no.

This sensation was no stranger to Jack. Nonetheless, he did not like or approve of it. He disregarded the notion and tried to go back to being angry. Being angry was better than being… he didn't want to think about it. No. He went back to being angry. But this time, more at himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well. I'm surprised that I've managed to enjoy writing this enough to continue. I will apologize for a few things. The lengthiness of chapter one, the random italics of chapter two (how they got there is a mystery), and my overall apprehension. **

The sun baked across the island, but even so Jenny refused to part with her jacket. Even when she was not wearing it, she toted the scorching burden wherever she went. It absorbed heat like a solar panel. Same with her Led Zeppelin shirt. It just figured that she would choose to wear all black.

The second day was rather scattered. A few brief meetings, a few scattered children. Lots of sun. a pulse of confusion and excitement.

Later that day, there was a meting. As usual. Also as usual, Jenny remained perched in her tree limb. None of the boys really bothered much with Jenny. Probably because she either intimidated them, or just irritated them with her blunt negativity and brashly sarcastic comments. Except for Ralph and Jack. Jack, just because they disagreed perfectly. But Ralph had a tenancy to try to talk with her frequently. Either that or stare at her. Jenny didn't like it too much, but she pretended she didn't notice.

Ralph spoke up to the group. Again, Jenny found herself tuning Ralph out. She didn't really care much. They could bellyache all they wanted about what they were going do. But Jenny knew it didn't matter. What was the use? Jenny had learned a long time ago that it was best to keep your hopes reasonably high, but your expectations as low as possible. That way, when you got disappointed, you knew you had it coming. But instead of saying something wise and thought provoking, she let out another useless set of banter.

"You guys talk too much. I don't know how much longer I can listen to British accents."

"Oh, please, sorry have to upset you Madame. You are allowed to be excused at any time. And I do mean that last bit." Jack said with a sneer.

"I'd leave," She said, "But then I would have to miss out on this lovely get together. And…" She didn't know what else to say. So instead she started singing for dramatic purpose. "_I am the son/and the heir/Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar/ I am the son and heir/Of nothing in particular_." She looked at them, satisfied, as if this was an appropriate response.

Jack was getting upset. He approached Ralph, pointing his finger at Jenny. "Okay, she's nuts. Why the hell do you keep letting her have all these ridiculous outbursts? You're the one who pushes that conch in our faces. Why not her?"

Ralph, with his usual patience and calm demeanor, said simply "Because. Now anyway, we've got to get that fire started. Like I said, it's the only way we can be rescued."

Jack gave both Ralph and Jenny a fierce look. But he swallowed his pride. He hated swallowing his pride, though. His pride was one of his weaknesses. He felt sick thinking about Jenny in that damn tree with that damn smirk she always carried. Who did she think she was? Jack had to admit, however, that Jenny did have a captivating aura. That's what convinced him to calm himself. Perhaps if her could talk to her. find out what she was about, he wouldn't have to have an ulcer ever time she opened her mouth. After all, they always tell you to keep you're enemies close. He just hoped he was over reacting.

As the children picked themselves of the sand and various logs, Jenny unwilling slid off her branch with a sigh. She slugged behind the others as they clamored towards the mountain. The less she had to participate, the better. But she didn't want them to think she was a total jerk. She caught sight of Jack, who walked over to her. Surprising. She thought he didn't even like being in the same breathing space as her.

"Hey, how's my best friend doing?" She said to Jack, who was slightly flushed.

"Oh, just peachy. You've got quite the mouth, haven't you?" His hair caught the setting sun, setting off sparks in his red mop.

"Well, someone's got to keep things interesting. And anyway, the more I insult people, the more those little kids keep away from me. I had little kids so much." Jenny was amused at this conversation, as she had not been expecting it at all.

"Well you seem to be keeping away most of the others, too. Except our little lover boy, Ralph. I'm sure you've noticed how much he enjoys your company." Jack had slipped out a slight twang of jealousy. He quickly looked down to the sand.

Jenny relished in this opportunity. "Ah yes, my friend Ralph. I suppose I have noticed. Would you like to know something else I noticed?"

Jack's heart dropped. He could feel his face flush again, but this time not with anger. "Uh, and what would that be?"

"Don't act all innocent. I'm not stupid. You play for the other team. I know it." Jack looked up. He did not know what that term meant, but he has his assumptions. "No," he said, giving her a deathly glare.

"Shaddup, man. I see the way you look at Ralph. I don't care. I mean Jesus, I'm from California. I see more drag queens in a month than you've probably seen in your whole life." Jack couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

"Well, just don't say anything. You're, you know, the first person whose ever know this… I don't really know what to say." Jack was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his entire life.

Jenny looked Jack right in the eyes. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." She made some sort of sloppy hand gesture that he assumed to be a way of assuring her promise. "After all, we've all got our secrets, don't we Jack?" She winked at him, speeding up her pace, picking her way over the rocks and vines gently.


	5. Chapter 5

**If you all haven't figured out yet, the name of this story came from a Grateful Dead song that I saw fitting. Oh, and as for chapter 4, I wrote that at like 1 AM. So I probably goofed it, like all the other chapters. Anyway, thanks for making it this far reading.**

As expected, Ralph's plot for fire and safety failed. It ended in a missing child and a scorched mountainside.

A few days later, Jenny still pondered these mishaps as she laid in the sand, absorbing the sun. She reminded herself of the seals at pier 39. Tourists came to the Warf and stared at them. Jenny remembered her frequent visits to San Francisco. She liked it better than L.A., by far. She lived in San Clemente, a suburb north of San Diego but south of Los Angeles. Her life had always been centered around the Pacific Ocean, and even in this far from home island, she did not, in fact, feel too far from home. Who knows? The water crashing on the beach now could have been the same water she swam in as a child, just circulating from shore to shore.

Ralph approached her from the side, sweat streaming down his forehead.

Jenny looked up at him, and greeted him. "Hey, how've you been? Looks like your England conditioned skin is really liking this sun."

Ralph did not answer her remark, nor was he impressed at her comment.

"Someone's acting sour." She said. She picked up fist-fulls of sand and let them drain out of her clenched hand.

"Now, listen. I don't want to boss you around or make you upset. But everyone has been working, well accept for the little kids and Piggy, and they are not pleased with your lack of effort."

Jenny rolled her eyes. Ralph continued. "So, if you could do fire watch tonight, it would be greatly appreciated. I figured you've been doing enough sleeping during the day and you'd be okay with staying up tonight."

"Fine," Jenny obliged easier than Ralph had anticipated. He looked at her, relieved and surprised. "Thank you." He said. Before he got up to meddle with the shelters more, he gave her one more longing gaze. Jenny caught his eyes, and held out her hand. Ralph looked at it, perplexed. "Come on, shake it. We've got to make it official." Ralph extended his hand and shook hers. Jenny was pleased, and pulled her hand back, closing her eyes to return to her thought. Ralph walked away, shooting one final look in her direction.

When Ralph made it back to the construction site of the shelters, he found that Simon had still not come back from his break. He continued on his own. Simon was an interesting character. Very quite. Very insightful. He was the most helpful to Ralph, ultimately.

Every time Ralph tried to stack another palm branch against the wooden frame, it would slide and knock down another branch. Frustrated, he remembered building forts at home when he was little. Using pillows and blankets, he would tie them to each other and crawl into the center of his own creation. When it did not go well, and the structure gave way, Ralph would just tear it away and forget about it. Now he depended on these forts. They were no longer a toy to pass time.

Lost in thought, Ralph did not notice when Jack emerged from the brush behind him. Finally, when his presence was acknowledged, Ralph simply greeted him. Jack looked visually annoyed. To ease the tension Ralph sensed, he spoke to Jack.

"I finally convinced Jenny to do fire watch tonight. She's been sleeping on the beach all day again."

"Keeping tabs on Jenny, huh?" Jack said, walking towards Ralph and the swaying structure. He watched as Ralph's arm tensed and put down a branch he decided did not fit. Ralph then looked at Jack and blushed.

"What are you talking about? She needed to-" He paused to catch a branch that was sliding off again. "Uh, she needed to have some sort of job. I guess."

Jack nodded, but with a gentle smile. Ralph couldn't be his. He knew that. But still there was longing. Ralph collapsed into the sand, running his burnt hands through his hair. Jack sat down next to him.

"I didn't have much luck with my pigs today, either." Ralph did not look at Jack.

"Well, I supposed neither of us are having much fun today then." Ralph said. He drew circles through the sand with his scraped index finger.

Jack had hurt in his eyes. "When are we ever?"

And for a moment, they were both bonded by their misfortunes. Jack offered to help Ralph, but Ralph turned down the offer. He needed to be alone for a little while longer.

Jack stalked to the beach. He walked past Jenny, who, as Ralph said earlier, was lying in the sand with her eyes shut. She was not asleep, however. She was humming to herself. She looked as serine as anyone he had ever seen, except for maybe a sleeping infant. At last, she noticed him standing over her.

"Hey, I thought you were gay. Why are you staring at me?"

Jack felt a surge of irritation and humiliation. Every time he was around Jenny he always got upset. "Well, you're lying there right in the middle of the beach. What do you expect?"

Jenny laughed at the confrontation. She stood up. "I'm not anymore." She peeled off her shirt and jeans, and placed them near her leather jacket. Jack looked at her, shocked that she was so… well immodest. She laughed again, and ran into the sea. Water splashed and crashed around her as the waves swallowed her up and she dove in. Jack marveled at this fearless approach and shook his head. He smiled and returned to his walk.

As he was walking into the forest, he thought about his and Jenny's relationship. He had only known her for a few days, but at the same time it felt like they were brother and sister. They hated each other, but at the same time with a mutual respect and friendship. He wondered what Ralph would have done if he had seen her skip into the ocean. Jack arrived at the stream that meandered through the forest. He came to this spot often while he was hunting to drink from it's cool clear waters.

He knelt down, and drank. He looked into the water gently lapping along the small sand back. He saw his wavy reflection. Everyday he knelt down in front of this stream, and everyday it seemed his face was changing. He had more freckles than when he arrived. His hair was matted and caked with dirt. His eyes though, were what caught him off guard the most. They always have been somber, but they now possessed something he had not noticed before. They held a hint of madness. For what, he was not sure. He began to not be able to recognize himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I've been on a writing kick this weekend, but after this chapter I suspect I will lose my motivation. Whatever. **

As the day closed to an end, Jenny paced around the beach commando. After her swim, she strung her undergarments on the highest point of her branch. She wanted to give them as much time to dry as possible before she had to do fire watch. She was not looking forward to her task, however she wasn't going to complain. So instead, she climbed to the top of the branch and retrieved her stuff, including her water bottle, which she had been saving. She figured now was as good as a time as ever. She slid into the near by forest and quickly got dressed. Ralph had told her that he would come and tell her when she should go on top of the mountain, and when she was finished, she leaned against the tree and waited.

In the distance, she could see Ralph's silhouette approaching her. She shoved her hands into her pockets and went towards him.

"Well, the top of the mountains yours for the night. Use it wisely." Jenny chuckled and tousled Ralph's hair. "Don't worry about me." She said, as she was making her way already towards the forest. Ralph sighed and headed back to the shelters. After all day, he and Simon had manage to get them to stay up. They were good enough for now, anyway.

Ralph bent down and crawled into one. He tried to lie down and get much needed sleep, but his thoughts were plagued. He couldn't shake the terrible feeling of dread. It was like his heart had transformed. It was no longer fleshy and warm, pumping blood, but it was cold and covered with led, pumping ice water. And no matter how much he tried to push it out of his mind, he couldn't forget Jack's haunted eyes when he had talked to him earlier today.

Jenny found her way to the top finally. She lost her boundaries a few times, as all the surroundings kind of seemed to blend in together. There was someone occupying the embers. He turned around. It was Roger, the broody kid, as Jenny had learned. "Hi Jenny. I see you've found you're way. Took you long enough." He said.

Jenny sat down next to him and sighed. "Very funny," she said without laughter. "But whatever. You go along now, and sleep amongst your fellow men."

Roger gave her a slightly confused look and a spout of nervous giggles. He got up and said his good byes. He wanted to talk more with Jenny, but he could tell neither of them were in the mood.

After Roger left, Jenny sprawled herself out on the rocks. She looked at the sky, which was now a velvety navy. The stars were so dense, it looked as if someone had tossed confections sugar around. She had never really seen the stars like this. Were she was from, there was always an incandescent glow that marked the cities and sprawling suburbs. She then sat up and put a log on the fire. The sparks climbed and danced into the air around her. Jenny took advantage of the solitude and slipped back into the quite shell of a person she was before the island. The silence was more comforting than it ever had been before.

Ralph tossed and turned. He couldn't begin to fall asleep. He sat up. Someone whispered to him in the darkness. It was Piggy. "Ralph, are you alright?" Ralph scratched at the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just going to go for a walk, okay?" Piggy understood this, and Ralph backed out of the shelter. He had no idea what he was doing, but he found his feet taking him towards the mountain.

Ralph pulled through the sheets of darkness in front of him. He followed the thin vein of smoke rising into the air. Ralph shivered as he climbed his way across the rocks. When he found himself on the top of the small mountain, he saw Jenny sprawled on her back next to the fire. She was singing something nearly inaudible. "_She's well acquainted/With the touch of the velvet hand/Like a lizard on a window pane/The man in the crowd with the/Multicolored mirrors on his hobnail boots_" Ralph only now realized how much he felt like he was intruding. But there was no turning back now. He took a deep breath and made his presence known.

Jenny jumped a little, and let out a startled noise. "Uh, God, you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here? You gave me a heart palpitation." She rubbed the back side of her head and sat cross legged.

"I'm really sorry. Really. But I couldn't sleep at all, and figured you were the only one who'd be awake…"

Ralph wrung his hands. He shouldn't have gone up here.

"Well, I suppose you can join me. Can't you see that it's quite the festivity?" Ralph smiled and sat next to Jenny, crossing his legs as well. He ran his hands through his ever growing hair. Jenny wasn't sure what to say. There was no need for comic relief, no need for a snide comment. It was like being with someone at school again, forced into speaking meaningless words. But with Ralph, at least she knew it wouldn't be meaningless. So instead of saying anything, she pulled a cigarette out from her coat pocket. She lit it by dabbling it in the flames of the fire.

Ralph spoke. "Where did you develop that little habit?" Jenny was silent for a moment. She responded simply, "I don't know. I guess the more time they tell you it's bad, the more you want to do it. And anyway, it matches my leather jacket nice." Ralph nodded. She held the cigarette out to him, like on the first day on the beach. "No thanks," he said. Jenny scoffed. "Man, you're such a straight edge. Come on, there's a first time for everything." Tentatively, very tentatively, he held it in his hands. Jenny instructed him. "Now just breathe it in, like if it was a straw and there's only air on the other end. But gently."

Ralph did as she said. His lungs instantly rejected it, and he almost passed out. His head spun, and he coughed. "You enjoy that?" he said, in between heaves of breath. Jenny laughed. "You get used to it. And another thing…" she reached behind her and grabbed her water bottle and held it out to Ralph. "Care for some refreshments?" Ralph looked suspiciously at the bottle. He opened it, and a stench escaped it that undoubtedly was not water. He handed it back to Jenny. "How did you manage to hang on to that?" She didn't reply. She re-opened it, and took a long swig from it until her eyes watered. "Here," She said, her voice slightly more raspy than usual. "Take some." Ralph figured he had it coming, and with little resistance gave into her whims. He shuddered at the foul taste, but took one more sip.

His vision flickered for a second, and he rested his head in his hands. He knew he had gotten himself into something that he was certain would not be easy to escape.

About an hour later, and an empty water bottle worth of vodka later, Ralph and Jenny were in hysterics. Ralph had just told an unfunny story about the time he and one of his friends got stuck in the school gym for an hour and a half, and Jenny collapsed into his shoulder with gasps of laughter. Jenny tried to retort at the punch line of the story, but found her laughter replacing words, sending cackles into the balmy air.

When they had calmed down, things got very quite. Jenny spoke up.

"Ralph, do you know what love feels like?" Jenny's head remained on Ralph's shoulder. Ralph slid a sloppy hand around her waist. "Of course," he said. "Well," she replied, "I haven't. I've never ever, ever loved a real person. I mean, I've loved songs and stuff, but never a real person."

Ralph looked at her, his shocked expression exaggerated by the amount of alcohol he had consumed. "What do you mean?" He asked, although she had just given an explanation to the question before he asked. "I mean, I hate everyone I know at school. They put censors on me and I hate them. They're all to stupid and I'm too lazy to get to know anyone. I hate them, even though I don't really know them. But I hate them." Ralph nodded solemnly, as if he understood the predicament.

"I'm just a fuck up, Ralph. I'm not even human. I'm incapable of loving and making human connections." She began to pull at her salty hair. "Shut up," Ralph said, taken aback by her negativity. "Shut up. You love me, right?" Jenny pondered this. "I don't know Ralph. Do I?" Ralph smiled. "Sure you do." He looked at her naturally scarlet lips. He pulled her closer, filling the gap between them with a confidence that he usually never possessed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Like I said, I was going to start losing motivation. Here's my little installment anyway. **

Ralph woke up the next morning with his face plastered to the rocky surface of the mountain. He had a horrible headache, a kink in his neck, and a sore back. Ralph didn't think he could have been more uncomfortable. He looked around, and saw Jenny, curled up and in a similarly awkward contortion. He stood up, felt like he was going to fall, and sat back down again. The fire was barely burning. He threw on another log and blew gently at the embers.

As Ralph sat in front of the flames, he tried to think back to what had happened that night. Just as memories started to flutter in and out of his mind, he saw from the corner of his eyes Jenny turn over and rub her face. She sat up, and looked at him questioningly.

"You're still up here?" She said, picking her hands through her ratty hair. "Yeah," Ralph said, wondering why she would even ask that. Of course he'd still be up here. "Why?" Ralph asked. Jenny shrugged. "You never know. So did you enjoy yourself last night?" As she said that, a slow smile crept across her face. Even with this effort, however, Jenny looked sick. Before the island, she had been gaunt, but now she didn't look good at all. She was thinner, and had dark circles under her eyes from the night before.

"Well, I think so. I'm still trying to remember. I've never, you know, done anything like that." Ralph said. "Like what?" Jenny asked casually. "Well, like anything. My parents keep a close eye on me, and, um, I usually don't talk to girls that much at all, with me at military school and such."

Jenny laughed, hers eyes a little more wide and interested. "So, understandably, I can see that you've never had a drink or smoked, but you've never had a smooch or anything?" she said, with a tantalizing tone. Ralph became a little embarrassed. He Didn't like being put on the spot by his short comings. "Uh, well aside from my neighbor in pre-school, no."

Jenny smiled wider. "Well, then I'm glad to of have the honor. Be seriously, that's a pretty badass way to get your first kiss. I wish mine was that cool, but instead it was just me behind the hardware store with some dude I hardly knew." As much as Jenny tried to be casual about her story, Ralph couldn't help but notice bits of sadness. It triggered a recollection of what she had said last night, about her never knowing love.

"Well," Ralph said, "I just wish I could remember better. But what you said last night, about never feeling love or whatever, is that true?" Ralph was nervous for the response. He could feel a twinge of discomfort in Jenny's usually armored aura. She paused, then sighed.

"Well Ralph, I'm afraid. So" Jenny looked for something more to say. "I guess… I guess I just find it impossible to get along with regular people in regular situations. I don't know though…" She didn't look at Ralph, and at that moment, Ralph could tell that Jenny was a lot more than she let on. He could feel something shift. There were no smiles and no wise comments.

"Hey, Jenny, you seriously don't look okay." Ralph said, concerned. And it was true. Aside from her sickly appearance, he could see her eyes start to harden with misery. She looked at him. "No, I suppose I'm not okay. But what difference does it make?" Jenny kept a steady gaze on Ralph as he replied.

"Well Jenny, I don't really know how to put this, but, well honestly you kind of look like shit. I can tell that you feel like shit, too, and it's kind of making me feel bad." With that, Jenny smiled a little bit. "Ralph, don't worry about me. I've been a lonely psycho for a long time now. I'm used to it, and I plan on continuing being a lonely psycho until I find something better to do with myself. In the mean time, you can continue being Mr. Sensible Ralph."

Ralph wanted to say more, to try to talk her out of this pit of self-loathing, but he found himself powerless against the dark forces of her ego. So he gave up. Jenny lifted her leather jacket, and searched through pockets.

"Well, we really must have had fun. Most of my cigarettes are gone. I suppose I would have ran out sooner or later." she snapped the pocket shut again, and sighed. "So," She said, "Who's on fire watch in the mornings again?" Ralph was taken back to reality by the question. "Uh, I think it's those twins' turn." He said. Jenny nodded. "What time do you think it is?" She asked. The only way Ralph could even begin to guess the time was to look at the sun. "Well, by the looks of it, I assume it is early to mid morning. That means we better go back down soon." Ralph stood up, and once both he and Jenny reclaimed their full height, they just looked around for a moment.

Jenny meet Ralph's eyes. Jenny walked closer to Ralph. She felt her pulse quicken a little as she put her hand on his shoulder. Ralph looked at her hand as if a bird had just perched itself there, but he enjoyed her hand being in direct contact with him. Jenny took a moment to continue.

"Hey man, I'm sorry for anything I might have done. You know, pressuring you and making you uncomfortable and stuff. Also, I was just being moody, so don't really take what I said 100% seriously. But I thought you might want one more thing to remember." She pulled Ralph towards her and kissed him in full. It took a moment for Ralph to process what was going on, but when he did, he reflected her motions, bathing in bliss.

When they finally separated from each other, Jenny looked a little better. The deadly look she carried with her all morning had been replaced with her usual spark. "I hoped that would give you a better impression." She looked at him one more time, and took off down the mountain without further word.

Once Jenny had found her way back into shady fortress of palms and vines, she secured herself by sitting against a rock and a carpet of grass. She couldn't believe herself. She was not happy at all on how things turned out. She didn't like the exposed feeling she had after having confessed herself to Ralph. She did not like being vulnerable, especially. She chided herself over and over again. She didn't mind making out with him, though. She knew that would come eventually, for some reason. As she lost herself in her constricting self-pity, she did not notice someone else making their way quietly through the foliage.

Simon saw Jenny first, poised against the rock, and had to do a double take. He'd never seen anyone in this part of the forest. He silently came up next to her, and she looked up, startled.

"Whoa, how long have you been here?" She said with an incredulous look. "Not long." Simon said. He went on. "I never see anyone in this area, and, well, I figured it would only be right to say 'hi'. What are you doing out here, by yourself?"

"Oh, well I just got back from fire watch with, uh, with Ralph and I just wanted to have some time to myself for a little bit, you know?" Simon nodded, understanding exactly what she was talking about.

Jenny looked at Simon. He was perfectly placid. It was amazing, actually. Jenny spoke. "You wanna hang out for a little while, Simon, and be quite together?" Simon smiled at the offer, and sat down next to her. They sat together, not saying a single thing. Yet without uttering a syllable, they said more than what any word could offer.

Ralph stumbled onto the beach. Sunlight tore at his eyes and made his head pound even more. He found the others, scattered about aimlessly. He made his way down the beach, ending up at the platform. There he met Piggy, who was just standing in the shade.

"Some walk you went on, huh?" He said with a snide smirk. Ralph blushed. He didn't say anything. Piggy giggled, and paced his way towards the bathing pool. Ralph collapsed down on a log in the shade.

After a few moments, Jack emerged from behind him. Ralph automatically assumed he was coming back from hunting. He looked up and locked eyes with Jack. Jack did not say anything, only raising his eyebrow with a questioning look. Ralph sensed more in his look, though. He sensed an edginess, and a dry, unquenchable desire for something Ralph could not pin a name to.


	8. Chapter 8

**The more I continue with this story, the more I realize it's going to be such a mess to finish. So please, bear with me if I turn into a rambling heap.**

Weeks, although a number would be impossible to conjure, had passed since Jenny and Ralph had their little episode on the mountain. Jenny was sitting on top of her tree, which had became an anchor to her. She watched the sun set over the sea. The sky melted into orange hues. Jenny remembered having a conversation once with her grandfather, who was a sailor. He had told her about the "green flash", a phenomenon occurring during a sunset. He claimed that just as the sun is going to dip below the horizon, the sun is supposed to turn green for a split second. She watched the sun intently, waiting.

Suddenly, Roger approached her and swung his arms around the side of the branch. Jenny looked down on him, startled.

"Hey," she said, "quit it. I'm busy waiting for the green flash. Go away." Roger just squinted at her. "No," He said simply. "I came here to talk to you," he said, still hanging on to the side of the branch.

Jenny brushed of this statement and did not reply. She fixed her eyes on the sunset again, determined to see the flash. Every sunset she had a chance to see, which had been many, she always looked for it, but never to avail. She persisted though, waiting for the day.

Roger followed her gaze out to sea. His eyes, too, rested on the sun. It slowly began to sink beyond sight, submerged by the water. They saw nothing. Jenny sighed, disappointed, but not surprised. She looked at Roger again.

"Well?" She said, nudging herself back to reality. Roger lifted his arms off the branch, and stood so that he was facing Jenny more in the eyes. His shoved his hands into the pockets of his tattered pants. He wore no shirt. "I just wanted to speak with you for a while. Get to know you better."

Jenny laughed at the notion. "You know me well enough, Roger. Now seriously, what do you want?" Roger swayed back and forth on his bare feet. His eyes were blue like Jack's, but greyer and cloudier. He spoke. "Well, how's it going? I haven't talked to you in-" he held up his wrist, pretending to check an imaginary watch. "Oh, I see, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Jenny was slightly amused. "Like, I said, I think you know damn well how I am. But in case you really don't remember; I'm A-OK. Well, aside from going through nicotine withdraw and having to constantly be by Ralph side." Those statements were true. Jenny had not been handling no more cigarettes well. Even though it had been about two weeks, she still felt traces of sickness. As for Ralph, well, Jenny discovered that aside from his desperately cute mannerisms, he really was quite clingy.

"Ah," Roger said, swiveling on his heels again, "I see. Sounds like a blast. As for me, because I know you care oh-so much, I've been doing A-OK myself. Just following Jack around all day is what I consider a blast! He has gone quite nuts, huh?" Jenny nodded in agreement. Jack's face had become very stern and forbidding. Even hidden beneath layers of paint, it failed to conceal to the burdening look of madness.

"You know what would be fantastic?" Jenny asked, her voice laced with playfulness. "What?" Said Roger, finding himself on a log behind Jenny's tree. "I think you and Jack should get together, if you know what I mean."

Roger found himself shaking with laughter. "You are too much. I don't I'd be up to that." Roger picked at the bark on the log as Jenny replied. "Oh, that would be nice, though. I think that's what Jack's problem is. He's sexually frustrated." Roger laughed again. At the same time though, he knew whatever Jack's issue was, it was far more passionate and deeply rooted than that. Something about the way Jack looked at everyone, as if he was looking at pieces of a chess board. Roger stood up and walked towards Jenny again.

Jenny hopped out of the tree and stood face to face with Roger.

"Well, has he told you his little 'secret' yet? I mean, everyone pretty much figured it out, but you know how he his." Jenny said this with a factual tone. Roger couldn't recall a formal declaration. "No," he said. Jenny nodded. "Well," she said finally, "I suppose I should go back and reassure Ralph that I am alive." Roger nodded, and held out his hand.

It reminded Jenny of the gesture she offered to Ralph a long time ago on the beach. She looked at his hand and held hers out to shake. Roger grabbed a hold of it and shook it vigorously. They locked eyes, in a mock formal suit, and let go. "Nice talking with you," He said with a wink. They both backed away from each other. As Jenny smiled and walked away, she rubbed her hand. Roger had a firm grip, as if he were trying to grip at the life force in her hand itself.

Back towards the shelters, Ralph met Jenny in an embrace. Jenny pushed Ralph off. Jenny manipulated her voice to a southern accent "Child, I haven't time for these games." She said, perching her hands on her hips. Ralph laughed and pulled her in once again.

It was completely dark out now, the stars and the moon regaining their territory of the vast night sky. Roger crept among the vines and parted dirt. He knew the trails he and Jack had created without the aid of light. He had no destination in mind. He just had no desire to sleep. He found his way to a spot that mimicked a clearing. Here, moonlight softly filtered in through the gauze of the trees and vines. He sat down, and began to tear at the foliage at his feat. He held a leaf up to his face, tearing it apart down to the central vein that ran towards the stem.

Rogers thoughts dwelled to his conversation held with Jenny at dusk. He wondered what she was doing with Ralph. He was such a pansy, thought Roger. She was so much better than him. Of all the females Roger had ever met, Jenny was the most spell binding. But along with that came her burden of melancholy. She was never truly happy, he observed. He felt he related to Jenny the most. But instead, he found Ralph's secure authority bearing over him.

Angry, Roger stood up. He wasn't sure were to go or what to do, but he found his feet carrying him back to the shelters. As he was finding his way back in the darkness, he saw a shadow brush past his line of vision. He looked over his shoulder. He was quite, as quite as he was when he hunted. Roger glared through the pale moonlight and saw a small figure hunched over the ground. It was Simon. Roger, confused, decided to leave him alone. After all, Roger had just been performing a similar ritual.

As Roger attempted to leave the forest, he found something continuingly calling his name back. The voice had no tone or sound, but was chilling. From deep inside the growth, an unnamable force kept calling him back to the darkness and the protection that the veil weaved out of grass and vines and spider webs offered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks a lot for anyone who has managed to stick around for these installments. I know a lot of the chapters have been a lot of nothing, but oh well. Anyway, I think I'm going to be stuck with this story for a while, so don't expect it to be over anytime soon. I'm still not sure yet if that is a good or bad thing…**

Ralph and Jenny laid under the shade of the trees together. It was mid-afternoon, and like many other of the days prior, so far had been filled with nothing. Every second seemed to blur together with days. Ralph itched at his burnt face. He had never been exposed to such sun. Usually, if his time was being spent outside, it would be under grey, cloudy skies. Jenny looked at his peeling skin, and touched it gently.

"Ow," Ralph said, irritated at even the slightest contact. "That looks like it really hurts," Jenny said blankly, her eyes fixated on his skin. "You don't say?" He said, his voice loaded with sarcasm. "You mean to tell me that you've never had sunburn?" He asked quizzically. Jenny shrugged. "I suppose not. I've been around the sun all my life, and even if I don't seem like I go out much, it's pretty much in my genetic code." With this remark, Jenny stopped looking at Ralph's face and down at her own hands.

Jenny had since acquired a deep golden tan. She no longer had a sickly look to her, and the circles under her eyes went away. She was still thin, though, along with everyone else. She also still possessed her overall gloom. For some reason, no matter how much sun she absorbed and how many smiles she gave, she just couldn't shake it. Jenny knew subconsciously that everything and everyone was somehow doomed.

Ralph nodded his head, wondering why what could have been such an idyllic life turned so sour. Ralph was never shy, so he asked. "So, Jenny, tell me, what was life like on the coast?"

Jenny smiled faintly, remembering shreds of reality. "Well, I'm sure it's a helluva lot different than life in England. But I think I've told you enough of my pseudo-sob stories. What about you Ralph, because frankly, I'm really fucking sick of talking about myself."

Ralph scoffed. "You haven't told me anything about yourself except little mysterious things here and there." Jenny sat up a little straighter and sighed. "I guess you are entitled to know some things about me, but I will not tell you much. If you tell a person too much right off the bat, things get boring. But I will tell you this Ralph; I'm just your average misunderstood American kid. Oh, and I like the ocean. Now, tell me something about yourself, because I seriously don't know anything about you." Now it was Ralph's turn to sigh.

"Now Jenny, there really honestly isn't much to say about me. I got shipped off to military school out of tradition, my mother and father conditionally love me, and I've never really done too much living." Ralph said this monotonously, as if this was a fact having nothing to do with him. Jenny nodded. "My parents love me, I think. I think I love them too, but I'm not sure. Hell, I haven't hardly thought about my dad since we've gotten here. But I don't really care about personal things like that. Tell me Ralph, what's your favorite book?"

Ralph was a little surprised by the question. "Uh, I don't really know… I'd, uh…" Jenny shook her head. "Come on, everyone has a favorite book. Mine's _Naked Lunch_ because it makes sense only if you concentrate on it really hard. Another reason is that it makes you think. Lastly is that you don't have to be a junkie to get the drug references. Our drugs are everywhere, and some without cure or rehab." Jenny was going to continue, but instead she stood up, rushing towards the bushes not to far from them.

Jenny vomited the little contents of her stomach. She kneeled over in the growth, gagging and coughing. After most of the real substances were heaved, she remained, her body forcing her to heave air. Ralph stood over her, unsure of what was happening. He thought he should hold her hair back or something, but she had already attended the matter, holding it with some kind of familiarity like she did this often. Ralph stood off to the side, waiting.

"Are you okay?" Ralph asked, once she had stopped heaving and wiping her mouth. She spat on the ground. "God, that hasn't happened in a while." She said, walking towards the beach. "What hasn't happened?" Persisted Ralph. Jenny stopped when she reached some sort of mid point between the beach and the ocean. "Sometimes I get these fits were I just throw up for no reason. Usually it happens when I'm nervous or something. I don't know why it happened that time. Whatever. I feel gross. I'm going to wash my things and take a swim. Care to accompany me?"

"I don't know," said Ralph. "I've swam before, but just not in the ocean." Jenny just grinned. She tossed her leather jacket aside, grabbed Ralph, and wordlessly pulled him into the surf. Ralph shouted and protested, but he always found himself powerless against her. It was all such a foreign sensation, both being wrapped by the sea and being wrapped so easily around someone's bony finger.

Jack and Roger stopped in the woods. There was no sound except their hushed breathing. Frustrated, Jack flung himself on the ground. Roger lowered himself next to him, following suit like he usually did. Jack rubbed his dirty fingers through his snarled mass of hair. Neither of them said anything. This was not a first. They were used to being silent. They sat there for a while, until Jack spoke. He and Roger talked normally about their lack of success. However, this small talk meant a lot more than just filling up spaces of silence and recapping their day. Somehow, although neither of them knew it, these words hinted at something more. It hinted at the plague that was beginning to rot inside of the both of them. The bacteria of this infection had always been there, but there was an evil present that allowed the bacteria to flourish with horrible beauty.

Jack stood up after he was done with his conversation with Roger. "Roger," he said, "I'm going back to the camp. I'm tired." Roger remained seated. "Okay, I guess I should go and get something to eat. I haven't had much today." He finally stood up and walked in the direction of the fruit trees. He stopped. He turned around at Jack, who had been watching him for a second. "Jack?" Roger said innocently. "What?" Said Jack, slightly dazed. "I think your mascara's running." With that, Roger smirked and slid off into the trees.


	10. Chapter 10

**I can now consider myself an official self-proclaimed fan girl (**_**insert dreamy sigh). **_**But I am still very perplexed why my hits have been taking a sharp downward decline. I don't really care though. I do this strictly for personal catharsis. Anyway, for those of you who still stick around, expect more eventfulness from this point forth. Also, please review anytime and let me know if I'm rambling too much. **

Whatever amount of time that passed, it never seemed to pass fast enough. Things were dissolving disastrously, and Ralph had no idea why. As he wandered the beach alone, he went to the platform and rested his flaky hands on the smooth surface of the conch. It had faded from it's delicate pink to a pure white. He prepared to blow it, to hear the sound that once had carried so much promise. Now it seemed to bear the reminder of a collapsing utopia. Ralph was about to take a breath and blow, when he saw Jenny emerge from the brush. She returned his gaze and went over to him.

"Hey Ralph," She said with a familiar patience. She climbed on to her branch and positioned herself. This was her natural spot, and no one questioned her possession of the branch. "Are you going to try to rally the morons?" Ralph didn't say anything, only nodded. Finally, he took his breath and blew. As the sound reverberated along what was once a promising coast, Jenny and Ralph could only sit in silence and wait.

As everyone settled into their usual places, Ralph spoke up in his usual tone, casting down his authority. Once again, Jenny tuned out. Not once had she actually paid attention during these gatherings. She never missed anything, either. Or at least that's what she told herself to believe. They bickered back and forth, and finally Jenny grew tired of it. She spat out more of her disruptive banter. Everyone was used to it.

"Hey, seriously, what do you guys even get accomplished by these stupid meetings. I say me and… Uh…" Jenny's eyes searched for someone who she could put on the spot without being judged too harshly. "Uh, me and Simon. I say Simon and I build a raft and sail out. How 'bout it, old Simon?" Simon remained silent, but he smiled at her, sharply aware of her intentions, as much as she tried to present them as humorous. Jenny continued. "I say-"

Roger cut her off. "What you say? What _you _say? Well dear, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you even listen during these meetings. Why should anyone listen to what you have to say?" Jenny's interest flared at the opportunity for conflict. She hopped off her limb and stood face to face with Roger. "Because," She said, "_because_ I am the only one around here who keeps their word." She smiled, knowing that her statement was true and would leave Roger quiet for a second. Jenny slipped her hand around his neck and whispered in his ear the lyrics to a song; "_despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage," _Jenny nuzzled her nose against his and backed away, satisfied.

Ralph could feel his cheeks flush. Not only was he confused, just like the rest of them, but he was, well, he hated to admit it but he felt a slight surge of jealously. Ralph knew Jenny was nothing shy of temptress, but he still hated the thought of her with anyone else. Jack, however, broke the stunned silence before Ralph. "Hey," he shouted, annoyed. "You, two. Break it up. Jenny, I hope you realize that your outbursts are really starting to get on my damn nerves." Jenny didn't respond. She lost interest again and climbed back on her branch.

Ralph and Jack started to bicker about something again, but this time a lot more heated. Jenny actually turned her head and listened, curious to why they suddenly became so snappy. Just as Jenny started to pay attention, though, she saw Jack stomp away furiously. Jenny spoke up. "Jack, were ya headed?" Jack turned around, appalled by her lack of attention. He responded as patiently as he could. "I'm forming my own tribe. Over by those rocks. Come with me, if you'd like. You know how much I enjoy your brutal company."

Jenny chewed this statement over for a minute. So Jack was leaving Ralph's tribe? Jenny wasn't surprised. She had expected their egos to clash in such a way eventually. Jenny once again jumped down from her tree. She ran over to Jack, who was still waiting for a reaction. Jenny didn't know why, but she shoved Jack. Jack, caught completely off guard, fell to the sand. He stood up, brushed himself off, and yelled at Jenny.

"What the hell was that for?" He wasn't happy. Jenny just shrugged. She reached over and gave Jack a long hug. Jack was taken aback again. He had no idea what she was trying to pull. But as he felt Jenny's body pressed against him, he didn't mind. He took the hug in as if it was from his sister, but all the same the human contact felt nice. Jack hardly ever had any kind of tender touch towards him. After a moment of this gushy feeling, though, Jack shoved her away again. He looked at her. Jack could even feel the hurt in his eyes. He didn't want to do this to her. He didn't want to push away yet another person. Jack looked into her eyes. On the surface, they showed no emotion.

After the sun set, Ralph remained on the beach with Jenny, Piggy, and Simon. Ralph was trying his best to keep his composure. Jenny stroked his hair, although she hated it. She hated touching people's hair, but it was the only thing that would keep Ralph from whining more. Jenny realized what baby Ralph could act like, but she only minded a little bit. As time passed, Simon and Piggy dispersed back to wherever it was that they though they should be. Jenny desperately searched her thoughts of something, anything to say to lighten the mood. Finally, she raked the perfect thing from the back of her brain.

"Ralph, do people get a lot of piercings in England?" Ralph's mind skipped a beat. What was she talking about?, he thought. "I guess as much as people in America. I don't know, I've never really paid attention." Jenny nodded, and continued. "Have you ever heard of the Prince Albert?" Ralph looked up at her. "The what?" He asked. "The PA as they call it. It goes right through the-" She made a gesture with her index finger and made a clicking sound. Ralph could only guess what that meant. "You mean the thing…?" He shuddered and stopped timidly. Jenny nodded solemnly, although she had a huge grin across her face. Ralph could only imagine what his face looked like. Finally, Jenny couldn't take it anymore. She broke out in hysterical laughter, and Ralph followed her intoxicating howls, both of them sending cackles into the air.

When Jenny and Ralph stopped laughing and discussing various types of genitalia piercing, Jenny rolled onto her side, facing Ralph, one arm supporting her head. "you think we're ever going to get rescued?" She said calmly. Ralph shook his head. "I hope so. I don't know what I'm going to do if I don't get out of here soon." Ralph wiped his forehead with his bare wrist. "Agreed," Replied Jenny. Ralph looked at her, bathed in the moonlight. She smiled "What are you looking at, Sonny?" Ralph returned her smile, and extended towards her, answering her question without words. Jenny returned the gesture, fluidly speaking silently against his sticky and warm lips.

After a while, Jenny pulled away from Ralph, her lips slightly swollen. She didn't say anything, falling asleep right there on the beach without further mention. Ralph looked at her and considered going back to the shelters, but didn't. Instead, he lay on his back, thinking about how Jenny had become his only light in an ever darkening world. But ever her light that she radiated towards him was cast with shadows of fear and sorrow. Ralph was only starting to understand his thoughts as loving hands pulled him into slumber.

Roger stalked along the beach. He needed to talk with Jenny at least one more time. Before, before… before what, he thought to himself? He couldn't remember, and decided it didn't matter. He just needed to see Jenny one more time. He spotted her and Ralph, lying several inches apart on the sand. That wasn't good. He needed to be as silent as possible coasting past Ralph, which would be no problem, thanks to his hunting skills, but keeping Jenny silent would be the issue.

He slid past Ralph, and shook Jenny gently. Her eyes slowly opened. She began to open her mouth, but Roger slammed his hand over it. Jenny gave him a confused and startled look. He pulled her up, shushing her as a guided her to the woods.


	11. Chapter 11

**Yes, I am indeed aware that this chapter kind of long and skips along weird. Bear with me. This chapter took me forever to write, too. It was tricky to find the right words to say. Read, review, whatever. The usual gig. **

Jenny, in a sleepy stupor, reluctantly let Roger tug her into the woods. He still had one of his hands pressed against her mouth, and he was kind of walking backward, looking over his shoulder as he went. When they had finally reached a spot Roger found acceptable, he removed his hand and told Jenny to whisper. His face paint was smeared from the day. Jenny rubbed her eyes. She was not in the mood for chit-chatting with Roger in the middle of the night. She wanted to get back to bed. She shook the sand out of her hair, which was now about collarbone length, and, at Rogers request, whispered to him. Angrily.

"Hey, man, I have no idea what the hell you're trying to pull, waking me up like this, but you better tell me what you want and it better be good." She was visibly irritated, squinting her eyes and rubbing her arm for no reason. Roger hesitated. He had almost forgot his motive for calling Jenny into the forest. He began to speak. "Well, um, I don't really know how to say this out, but-" Jenny cut him off. "Spit it out." Roger felt a spark of anger. "Shut up. God you are so impatient. Just let me finish. Anyway," Roger had forgotten how to deal with the tender question due to his brief lapse of anger. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Anyway, well, let me just be blunt. What are you doing with Ralph." It took Jenny a minute to register this question, which was more like a statement. She blinked and responded sarcastically, as if she were explaining something to a small child. "Well, Roger, sometimes things like this happen. Sometimes two people like each other like that. Someti-" This time Roger cut her off. He lost his temper. He didn't come to get Jenny just to play mind games. "I know that, you bitch. Now answer my question!" Jenny snapped and shoved Roger as hard as she could muster, which wasn't very hard. "Hey, you just crossed the line buddy! First you come and wake me up, then you practically drag me into the woods, and then you insult me. You're the bitch, bitch!" She shoved him again, except this time plowing her shoulder into his.

Roger pushed her back. Jenny was about to yell something and continue their little shoving game, but she stopped. Her sense came back to her. She realized that pushing Roger around was pretty stupid. She also realized what Roger came for. She laughed. Roger sneered at her. "You think this is funny, don't you?" His fist was clenched at his side. "Yes, Roger, I think this is really hilarious. Honestly. I know what you came for." Roger loosened his fist a little bit. "And what would that be?" He said. Jenny smiled. She didn't say a word. In a moment of passion and lost judgment, she pressed her face against his, melting on his lips.

Roger immediately gave in. His bitterness and temper dropped almost completely. Almost. He could never really shake the ever present knots that twisted in his vapid heart. Roger lacked affection of any sort. He, although he would never admit it, was emotionally starved for love. And perhaps that's what his problem was. Sometimes, what emotional stimulation that could not be obtained through gentleness and kindness often was compensated for by brutality and pain.

After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, Jenny backed away from Roger slowly. She was still inches from his face. She whispered. Her hostility was gone. "That's what you came here for, wasn't it?" Roger nodded, not ready to trust his voice. "Roger," Jenny continued slowly. "I don't want you to ever tell Ralph about this. Ever. Okay? Because he is, well, as much as I love the kid, he really is one of the most sensitive people I've ever met." Roger nodded again, but he found enough breath to respond. "I won't. You think I'm that stupid?" Jenny laughed, and planted one more kiss on him before backing away completely. She began to walk away, back to the beach, when she stopped. She turned around and looked at Roger, who was still standing there. All of sudden, she nearly started to cry. "Roger," She said, her throat tightening. "Hey, are you okay?" He said, noticing her shaky voice. Jenny continued. "Roger, just be cool, okay? Just be cool." Roger nodded, but he had no idea what she meant. Jenny swallowed her tears and ran out of the woods, back to pale beach.

… LATER …

That was it. Jenny couldn't take it anymore. It had infuriated her beyond measure when they had so thoughtlessly slaughtered Simon, innocent, perfect Simon on the beach. But now, Jenny snapped. She could almost feel it, something inside her suddenly break. As she had watched the boulder tumble down the cliff towards Piggy, she could feel that string within become strained and tight inside her. Then, as the boulder crushed Piggy, sending his remains into the sea, she could feel it give way. While everyone was stunned into silence, Jenny became outraged. She hadn't had that much of bond with Piggy, they hardly ever talked. Jenny had suspected it was because Piggy was slightly afraid -and irked- by her irrationality. But none the less, Jenny felt this was the last straw. And who else to deliver the fatal blow than Roger.

Roger. Jenny at one point had enjoyed his presence, and to an extent, trusted him. She looked at him now, perched on the cliff. His eyes held no expression. No fear, no remorse, nothing. Just a dead blue-grey. Jenny felt disgust, and she was no longer able to contain it. Ralph looked at Jenny, who had been standing at his side, as she began to move towards the center of the huddled group. He could feel an intense pulse of rage emitting from her. She stopped, and opened her mouth. Instead of words, however, she poured out a series of blood curdling screams while lowering herself to a crouch on the ground, covering her ears. Everyone cringed. Ralph wondered how it was possible for anyone to produce such repeated magnitudes of sound.

After Jenny finished screaming, she stood back up. She was not finished with her outburst. She had tears in her eyes. Jenny looked at everyone. They were silent, waiting for her next move. She shouted at all of them, her voice hoarse. "You all think this is a fucking game?" Some of the smaller kids flinched slightly at the obscenity. "You think you can all just run around like this, tossing away people like this, like they never even mattered? What the hell is wrong with you all?" Jenny was really crying now, hot tears running down her face. She looked at Jack. "You. I thought you were better than this. I thought you at least had a little sense. How could you let this happen?"

Jenny was honestly disappointed with Jack, and Jack could feel it. For some reason, Jenny's shame towards him sunk into his heart coldly. But his face showed nothing. He didn't respond. He stood next to Ralph, holding his spear, waiting. Jenny then focused her attention to Roger. The pain in her eyes was insurmountable. "And you. All I have to say to you is _fuck you._" Jenny's silent sobs shook her, and she screamed one more time before running off into the woods.

Jenny ran, ferns and plants slapping against her limbs. She ran until her legs were numb and every breath felt like she was inhaling toxic fumes. She collapsed at the first clearing she came to. She took deep, heaving breaths as she hung her head down. She then looked up, to see something that took her remaining feeble breath away. Staring down at her was the rotting carcass of what once was the head of a pig. Jenny felt a pang in her stomach. She was almost certain she was going to vomit, but before she could get up, her vision sunk and her eyes fluttered. Her legs collapsed under her weight. As she lost consciousness, the image of the pig's head following her into a wretched pit of darkness.

Ralph tried his best to follow wherever it was that Jenny had went. The others had sent him out at the will of spears and rocks. As he wound his way through the forest, the sun had set. Ralph felt as though all the foliage was watching him, mocking him. It sent tendrils of fear shivering through his veins. He had never felt so lost or afraid in all his life. He remembered how the island felt during their first days. It was so glamorous and promising. Now it seemed like the island populated more than just savages. What it pertained now was nothing that Ralph could even come close to describing. It was more than just fear, more than just evil. It was an ancient force so dark and frightening, Ralph's stomach twisted at the thought of it.

As Jenny's eyes fluttered open, her vision was dotted with stars. For a minute, she tried to remember why she both felt extremely horrible physically and why she was lying on the ground. She then looked up, and saw the head of the sow. It immediately brought her back to the reality her body forced her to escape momentarily. As she began to sit up, she heard rustling in the bushes. Her senses crackled and her blood spiked. She whipped her head around, only to find Ralph. His eyes were wide and frightened, but when he saw Jenny he let out a sigh of relief. His relief was short lived, however, when he saw the grinning figure held on a stick. He swallowed.

"W-what is that?" He stammered, unable to greet Jenny properly. She shrugged. Ralph gingerly sat down next to Jenny, who was mute. Ralph tried once more to talk to Jenny. "Have any suggestions on what we're going to do next?" Jenny shrugged again, but this time she looked at Ralph. Her face held no traces of fear, like Ralph suspected his did. Instead, it portrayed exhaustion and the usual sadness that she always carried. It almost looked for a second like she expected things to fail in such a dramatic mannerism. They stayed silent for awhile, until Jenny finally spoke up.

"I've been thinking, Ralph, and I think I figured something out. It's the fact that people are pretty shitty life forms. They're always going to jip you off. It's always been the same, too." Ralph listened, but so far he had no idea what she was getting at. Jenny took a breath and continued. "Ever since humans could figure out how to use their brains. Ever since then, they've all, _we've all, _been a pack of rotten no-good idiots. We kill each other, we kill ourselves, we kill and destroy everything. You remember when I told you I liked that book, _Naked Lunch_? Well, the author, William S. Burroughs, has this quote. And like a year or two ago, when I first read his stuff, I found this quote. And me being an angsty teenager and such, I sat down and I memorized this quote. It goes like this," Jenny closed her eyes, adjusting herself so she was sitting cross-legged. "He says, 'This is a war universe. War all the time. That is its nature. There may be other universes based on all sorts of other principles, but ours seems to be based on war and games.' And while I was in love with that quote and everything, I would never have guessed to would become nearly this relevant to me. At all."

Ralph soaked up everything she said. Apparently, though, Jenny was not done. "One more thing," said, her eyes still closed. "There's this one thing that's always bothered me. During the French Revolution, back in the 1790s- wait, you know about the French Revolution, right?" She continued without waiting for Ralph's response. "Anyway, during this revolution, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were the people in charge of France. But the people were really pissed at them because they kept using up all the dough and all the other regular people were starving and stuff. And the King and Queen know what's going on, but they just keep being lavish and whatnot. Everyone hated their guts. Good old Marie Antoinette tried a little bit to help out, but it didn't do much at all. So one day, all these poor women go and they march and storm Versailles. They tear apart the palace looking for Marie, and they bag up a lot of the capital's flour. In the end, both Louis and Marie ended up getting their heads chopped off. Their one son, the one that was supposed to be king later on, got beaten up and he died in prison." She paused, opening her eyes. She looked right at Ralph. "The moral of the story is that a lot of the time, when there is something wrong with a government, and people believe that government is corrupt, it just ends up getting replaced by another government that ends up being just as awful as the government before it, just in a different way."

Ralph listened intently to what Jenny was saying, even though he already knew plenty about the French Revolution. She then began to tell Ralph about the Reign of Terror, just to validate her point. When she was done with her speech, she looked at Ralph with a smile. "It's a pretty messed up world, huh?" And with that, she lied down to sleep, right underneath the menacing evil of the pig's head's smirk. Ralph didn't like being up alone in it's presence, so he curled up next to Jenny, his check pressed against the shoulder of her beloved leather jacket.


	12. Chapter 12

**For those of you who still follow this story, this chapter does NOT mark the end. I'm going to have it continue into the real world. Now, excuse me for that little spoiler. Back to writing. **

Roger woke up the next morning, sunlight gently glazing over every spot of the island. He could feel the heat of the day beginning to radiate like he was in a greenhouse. He smelt the moist, balmy fragrance of the plants mixed with the stale scent of sweat, blood, and dirt. Blood. Oh God, the memory of blood found it's way back into his thoughts. He couldn't help it. It wasn't his fault. He-he… Roger tried to form any sort of excuse in his head. He found nothing. It was his fault, he realized. He had been the one to lean on the lever. He was the one to send the boulder tumbling over the edge. And now he held something heavier than the boulder. He held the weight of being responsible, in full, for the death of a human. With freedom came responsibility, he thought. Roger had been the one. Yet, as twisted as it seemed, there was some sort of satisfaction to be held within pushing that boulder. Ridding of the life force within Piggy was dementedly satisfying.

But then the memory of Jenny came washing over him. He remember the way she looked at him, her eyes wretched with disgrace, and the way she had so passionately said "fuck you" to him. He knew she really meant it. All Roger's life, he thought, he had been screwing things up. He was never good enough, never smart enough, never good looking enough, never knew the right things to say, never nothing. Jenny had been his small, dim hope that maybe someone could appreciate him, but no. Never. That, along with anyone or anything who had ever debased Roger, was a big "fuck you" in itself.

Down on the beach of the island, Jack went on a rampage searching for Ralph and Jenny. He called out their names with long, gasping yells. Not like he expected they'd just hop out of the bushes and greet him like they've been best buddies. It was worth a try, however. He didn't know why he wanted their presence so bad. Why should he pity them? They had asked for it. They were the ones that… Jack stopped his thoughts. He wasn't over analyzing this, was he? No, he thought, of course he was. Wait, he was? He turned around, infuriated. Ralph had been yet another person to Jack who was unattainable, simple as that. And Jenny, dear Jenny, had been one of his greatest enemies and his closest ally. She knew Jack, and she knew what he was about, and Jack hated it. Vulnerability is a ticket to hell.

Jack stomped his way back to Castle Rock. He found Roger sitting alone. He went Roger and shook him violently. Roger looked up with a sharp intake of breath. "What do you want?" Roger inquired dully. "Roger, we have to find Jack and Sally" Jack said, panting. Roger looked confused. "Who's Jack and Sally?" He asked, convinced Jack had lost it just as much as he had. Jack paused in thought. What _was _he talking about? Jack and Sally, Jack and Sally, Jack and Sally. He combed his mind to find were that thought had came from. Oh, yes, that one Tim Burton movie he had seen once. Movies, God. The least of his worries. What relevance did that pertain to him now? He continued talking to Roger. "Uh, doesn't matter right now. Ralph and Jenny. We've got to find them, we've got to get them. We've got to kill them."

Whoa. Kill them? Roger toyed with the thought for a moment. He looked at Jack, who had a mad look in his eyes and an impatient, twisted mouth. Roger remembered Jenny's "fuck you", and how much it had stung him. He remembered Ralph's overall passiveness towards him. He thought about how Ralph never listened to him. Ralph was everything Roger hated in this world. Beautiful, seamless, moral. What he hated most, though, was how Ralph managed to win Jenny over when he couldn't. He briefly had a flash back to Jenny, perched on that branch she loved, wrapped in her leather jacket, smoking a cigarette while singing lyrics to songs that came out of nowhere. He thought of her mouth whenever she would let a cloud of ghostly smoke escape her lips. Her lips. That was enough to send him over the edge. He had enough of them.

"Okay, so how do you plan on finding them and killing them?" Roger asked. Jack smiled, pleased Roger was once again on his side, like always. "Remember that pig, and what we did to it's head? We could do that to Jack and Sally, uh, I mean Ralph and Jenny, and let them warm their bones by a nice, toasty fire. Whaddya say?" Jack kept his devious smile, waiting for Roger to return with one. Instead, Roger kept his face dead serious. He did not speak, only nodded solemnly. Silently, he thought to himself. He would reign with revenge, something he could never do in another life, that life called reality. He would return Jenny's "fuck you", and he would deliver it to Ralph, and he would send it to anyone who had never listened to him. Even though he had not said anything, the word still felt tonic forming on his tongue.

**…**

Ralph awoke, his cheek stiff and sweaty, still pressed to Jenny's jacket. He rubbed his face and turned it up slightly, and saw the pig grinning down on him evilly. He shuddered. He couldn't believe that he slept under the thing. He sat up and inched away. He sat there in silence for a few minutes, recalling the events from the day before. He couldn't believe any of it. Piggy was really dead. Dead. It was such a heavy word. But Ralph could only be alone with his thoughts momentarily before he saw Jenny move, and eventually wake up. She looked at him and said nothing. She turned her on her back, facing the azure sky. Ralph followed her silence, not sure what to say himself. At this point in their game, words seemed slightly useless to Ralph.

Finally, Jenny spoke. "Ralph, I wonder how old I am." Ralph wasn't surprised anymore at any of the random questions she would spew out. He shrugged. "I don't know Jenny. I didn't even know how old you were in the first place. Wait, why are you even asking anyway?" Jenny didn't bother making eye contact with him as she remained on her back. "Well," she said, "I was expecting my 17th birthday a few months after we left, but I can't even remember what month it was when we left… Was it may? But you know what, it doesn't matter. Not here, anyway. I'm sure when we get back home, they'll tell us. And if we don't return home, which personally is more likely, it doesn't matter." Ralph scoffed. "Don't go there," He said. Jenny only smiled and turned on her side. "Oh, don't be like that Ralph. What did death do to hurt anyone? I'm not afraid of death, certainly not. The tricky part is living. I've always been scared of living. Now come on, let's take a little walk, shall we?"

"Where to?" Ralph said, already getting up. He wanted to be as far away from the thing on the stick as possible. "Well, unless you just want to pop out and say hi to our good friends Roger and Jack, I suggest we stay in the forest. For a little bit, anyway." Jenny took one more look at the pig's head, and for the first time, wondered how it had gotten there. She had slept under the grinning figure all night, and the thought seemed worthless now. She shivered, and again started to go into the forest. Ralph trotted slightly to catch up to her. "Do you think they're going to be looking for us?" He asked, pushing his vibrant blonde hair out of his eyes. "Of course they're going to be looking for us," Jenny said. "Whatever they might want with us, they're sure as hell are going to look for us." Ralph nodded. He knew that, of course.

After a while of walking and discussing their dawning fate, Ralph noticed Jenny was straying dangerously close towards the beach and Jack's area of reign. He stopped. "Oh, what, are you afraid of them?" Jenny said over her shoulder, refusing to turn around for him. "Well Jenny, I'm not sure if you noticed, but I don't think they like us too much right now. Don't you think we should go somewhere else?" Ralph once again stood perplexed by Jenny's train of thought. She always moved in predictably unpredictable patterns. Jenny began to move again, knowing Ralph would follow anyway, and started singing, but this time in a joking, overly dramatic voice. "_Don't speak/ I know just what you're saying /So please stop explaining /Don't tell me 'cause it hurts /Don't speak /I know what you're thinking /I don't need your reasons /Don't tell me 'cause it hurts" _

When Jenny had finally came within dangerous proximity to the beach, Ralph finally grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. "Hey, hold on a minute. I know you want to go and say hi to Roger and Jack really bad, but that wouldn't be so smart. Why don't we just sit over here, hidden in this bush, for a little bit." Ralph gave a weak smile and pointed to a low lying bush. Jenny laughed, not fooled. "You're such a sissy, Ralph. Have I ever told you that? Have I ever told you how much of sissy you are? You lead the way, buddy," She said, extending her arm to allow Ralph to go first.

**…**

Roger wordlessly followed Jack, holding the shattered remains of Piggy's glasses. They felt sharp and sticky. Jack was leading Roger all around the island to make fires, in vain attempt to chase out their prey. Roger had began to feel like he was in Fight Club or something. Just as Roger's thoughts drifted off, and he began thinking of Jack as his weird alter ego, Jack stopped walking and pointed at a spot in the ground. "Okay," he said to Roger, "I want you to make a fire right here. This is were the first one will start. After we light this one, we have to hurry and run really quick to find the other spots. I told the others to be waiting for us so we can start looking right when we're finished. Hurry Roger, light it. We haven't much time." Now, Roger thought, still daydreaming, this part was like Project Mayhem. Jack waited for Roger to move. He yelled at him. "Roger, what could you possibly be thinking about right now? Come on, light the damn fire!" Roger blinked, and knelt down and held the bent and shattered glasses over a small pile of kindling Roger assumed Jack had set up earlier. As smoke and flame began to rise eerily from the pile, Jack patted Roger's shoulder. "Come on," He said, already starting to sprint. Roger followed, his bare feet mechanically sorting past the plants and debris.

**…**

"Ralph, what are we doing in this bush?" Jenny's back was hunched over, and she used her arms to pull her legs as close to her as possible. Ralph was in a nearly similar position. "I'm starting to ask a similar question. But whatever you do, do not move. We have to stay here." Jenny shot him a glare in the dim, branch filtered light. "Why? There is no way they're not going to see us anyway. I mean come on, there's nothing discrete about us hiding in this bush." Ralph felt himself flush. He hated it when Jenny repeatedly interrogated him. "Okay," he said, "we won't stay here too much longer. Just until we think of something better to do." Jenny let out a loud sigh. "This is great Ralph, it really is. In fact, I've never had so much fun in my entire life than I have had on this island so far. It's just been a real blast." Ralph laughed at her sarcastic remark. Jenny continued. "You know what I would kill for? A cigarette. Man, does that sound good." Ralph tried to peel off a piece of burnt skin as he spoke back to Jenny. "You know, cigarettes aren't too good for you. You'd kill something to kill yourself?" Jenny laughed. "Clever Ralph, real clever."

After a while of hunching over in the bush, Jenny grew restless. Just as she was beginning to complain to Ralph again, she stopped. "Hey," she said, "you hear that?" Ralph looked at her. "Hear what?" he asked. "Hear that… that crackling sound." Jenny put her hand to both hers and Ralph's mouth. They listened for a moment. Indeed, there was the faint sound of crackling coming from somewhere in the forest. Ralph's breath grew heavy, and he removed Jenny's hand from his face. Jenny kept her hand over her own mouth. "I think that's fire?" He stated, but said it more like a question. Jenny lifted her hand from her mouth revealing a grin. "What are you smiling about? I bet they- oh God I bet they're setting the whole island on fire. Jenny we have to get out of here." Ralph's pulse quickened to a dangerous pace.

"What's the rush, Ralph? How about we stay here for awhile." Jenny was still smiling. "What the hell are you thinking? No Jenny, we _have_ to get out of here. Now." Ralph tried to pull on her arm, but she stayed put. "No, no, no, Ralph. Why don't we just stay here. Don't you understand, it's our ticket out." Ralph's mouth opened partially. Ticket out of what? Wait, was she really suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? "Jenny… _what?_" Jenny didn't say anything. "Jenny, come on. This is not our ticket out. This means we have to _go. Now. _Come on Jenny, we don't have to get on that ride just yet." Moments of silence passed. Jenny's eyes glazed over, and Ralph felt like he was going to go into cardiac arrest. They could here the fire coming closer, and now they could here the chants of children gone wild approaching them at a terrifying rate. Ralph could have sworn his blood was carbonated. He could hardly breathe. He stated to speak to Jenny. "Come on Jenny we-" Jenny cut him off. "Alright buddy. You won this time. Now, on the count of three, we run like hell." Jenny still looked unreasonably calm.

"One-" The shouts and calls were getting closer.

"Two-" Ralph's lungs were on the verge of collapse and his heart felt like it was going to rattle out of his rib cage. His hands were trembling.

"_Three!-" _Jenny grabbed Ralph's hand and pulled him out into the open.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks a bunch to anyone who continues to read this story, and especially anyone who takes the time to review this (although the numbers have decreased?). Anyhow, the story will now continue. This chapter might be a little weird, but I like it. Read, review, blah blah blah…**

Jenny paced around her dusty room, searching through all her things. They seemed ancient, as if belonging to a ghost generations ago. Yet they undoubtedly were indeed hers, because no one else could have had such an eclectic collection of possessions. Her shelves and bookcases and floors were littered with trinkets, books, postcards, bottles of lotions and perfumes, candles and incense, tins filled with even more odds and ends, and basically anything Jenny came across in which she found amusing. In one corner, for instance, she had a collection of creepy vintage dolls. Some of them were porcelain, some of them plastic, and a small few of them were old and stained china. They peered out ever smiling from behind each other. In another corner, across from her bed was a large array of records, CDs, and a few cassettes. Her walls were painted brick red, but hardly any of it was visible. On nearly every possible inch of the wall, some sort of poster, usually of her favorite bands or musicians, covered it. They were held up haphazardly with old, peeling tape or tacks. Jenny looked around at them. She remembered on the island that humming tunes would be the only thing that kept her relatively sane. The song itself, however, would be far away and distant. The first time she put a record on when she came home, her mind was blown. She had forgotten how sweet vinyl had sounded.

She walked over to her record collection, holding up the first one on top. It was the last one she had listened to before she left. It was the Fleet Foxes' self entitled album. She thought of how much Simon would have loved Fleet Foxes. She blew some of the faint dust that had begun to collect on the cover. She placed it back on the top of the pile. She laid down on her wood floors and her hands laced through the huge stacks on the ground. She had three piles, each roughly about a foot and a half tall. For each record, she had some sort of emotional attachment to it. She clung on to them as dearly as some of those crazy animal hoarders you see sometimes on the psyche channel late at night. She could relate to those people, weirdly enough. Even if her records pissed on her floors and left fur balls, she'd still have kept them. Usually, when she had nothing to do, she would lazily look through them, sometimes to listen to them or other times to just to look through them nostalgically, gazing wistfully at the cover art. This time, though, she had a deliberate purpose. There was one that she had been dying to hear since she got home.

She had organized the stacks many times. A few times, she had done it alphabetically by album title, then alphabetically by artist, and even once by color, which had proven to be the least efficient. No matter how many times she organized them, however, they would always end up back in a random formation. Finally, she picked out the one she had been looking for and grinned. She looked at the classic and priceless artwork on the cover. The baby swam through cobalt blue water, perpetually reaching for the dollar bill. She opened it up. On the inside, her heart fluttered at the fuzzy picture of the three of the band members. Kurt Cobain flicked her off. She got to her feet and placed it on her worn record player, moving the needle to the beginning. She grinned even bigger as the crisp and punchy notes spilled out of the speakers. Most people listened to this album to be angry, but Jenny listened to it to relax. It comforted her.

Jenny made her way over to her overpopulated dresser and pulled a cigarette from a half empty carton. She had been smoking like a madwoman since she had returned home. She knocked over a small bottle of patchouli oil while reaching for her lighter. She set it back in it's precarious position, and collapsed on the paisley quilts of her bed. She lit the cigarette and inhaled. Her windows were wide open, but she really didn't care if her mother caught her. Not like her mother cared, either. Jenny had missed out on the last few months of school, turns out they had crashed in on the island in April, and now it was late July. She had only been home for about a week. Jenny had turned 17 during the course of her stay on the island without even knowing it.

Jenny was beyond relieved at the amount of alone time she had. Her mother worked most of the day as a nurse in the local clinic. When she was home, she spent most of the time blubbering over the loss of Jenny's father, who's body had never been retrieved. Funny, Jenny had only thought of her father once or twice on the island. Aside from flying together, they didn't really do much with each other. The same went for her mother. They both worked a lot, and saved more money for Jenny than they did time.

Jenny lived in a pretty nice house, a classic Spanish style ranch that was a five minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. It had cost a pretty penny, and Jenny's parents had worked their asses off to pay for it. It had been the only house Jenny had ever known, and the only thing that ever seemed to change about it was Jenny's constantly evolving room. The paint in her room had first started out a sugary pink, then cotton candy blue, then pumpkin orange, to a dark violet, and finally the red it was now. Toys and stuffed animals were replaced by records and hidden stashes of pot, alcohol, and cigarettes. It always made Jenny horribly sad to think about. If she had a choice, she would have kept the toys and stuffed animals instead, but she knew too much now, and there was no turning back.

Once Jenny finished her cigarette, she flicked the butt into a glass of water. She cursed, remembering too late that she was thirsty. She soon forgot about it, though, walking back over to her dresser. She shivered, getting goose bumps all over as the opening notes of "Come as you Are" melted across her room. Her eyes meandered across her dresser, landing on her mess of tangled jewelry. She picked through the heap, finding one small earring that did not have a match. She twisted it around through her fingers. She looked at the end of it. It was one of the starter earrings that they gave you at Claire's when you first got your ears pierced. She assumed this was from her first ear piercing. She had three piercing, all on her lobe, the last two done herself. Her grandmother had taken her on her 8th birthday to the mall for her first one. They celebrated on July 6th, one day before her real birthday. First she had taken Jenny to Claire's, and Jenny remembered how proud she felt on the purple tall chair. Later, her grandmother had taken her to the candy shop and bought her whatever she wanted. Jenny's grandmother died a few months later.

Now, the faux ruby starter earring had lost most of it's magic. Jenny remembered how persistent she had been to get the birthstone ones, and how grown up she felt when ever she wore her hair back, letting them glisten in the sun. She continued to turn it in her hand. It was useless now, without it's match, Jenny silently thought. Through her parted black curtains that gently billowed in the breeze, the sun caught the cheep crystal and sent it glimmering again. Jenny turned it over, and looked at the sharp and pointy back. The titanium was old looking. Nine years old. It was a miracle even one out of the two lasted this long.

Lost in thought, Jenny accidentally let it slip out of her hands. It landed next to her lighter, and suddenly a moment of inspiration came to her. She picked up the earring again and held the lighter underneath it. She trailed the flame back and forth underneath the backing for a few seconds and held out so it could cool down. Then, without hesitation, she stepped closer to her mirror and hovered the earring above the crease of her left nostril and pushed it in. She watched as it sunk its way through the tough cartilage in her nose. She only flinched a little bit. The pain was hardly existent. She had always wanted a nose piercing.

Later that day, Jenny once again paced her room. Her mother had returned early from work today, so they had time to go out to dinner together at the local 50s style burger joint. Jenny hated diners like that, but she went because it was her mother's favorite place and her mother looked like she was in pretty bad shape. They talked for a while, her mother inquiring how Jenny had been doing since her return. Jenny had told her she had been doing fine, which, for the most part, had been true. Jenny could adapt easily to new environments and situations. She was the only one who did not cry at her grandmother's and father's funerals. Her heart, she imagined, was frozen under several layers of ice. Her mother believed her, mostly because Jenny was generally a pretty honest person with her. Jenny asked how her mother was doing, and she said better. That was all. Then she made a comment on Jenny's nose piercing, which she didn't really seem to mind. The whole dinner, however, Jenny's mother pretended she didn't notice the smell of smoke coming from what her daughter's clingy Talking Heads shirt. At least, her mother thought, she was a sweet girl at heart. She decided that was enough.

Jenny had just gotten out of the shower, her damp hair hanging on to her neck. Showers were one of the many things she welcomed back into her life with open arms. She had cut her hair herself, making it return to it's choppy shoulder length and her bangs retreating just under her eye brows. Her nose was slightly sore, but the piercing seemed healthy. She sat on her bed and looked at her nightstand. She had a tall glass of cold water next to her radio alarm clock. Next to the clock, she had an old telephone, one with the circular disc in the middle with the number slots. It used to belong to her grandmother, and Jenny would always pretend to dial someone important whenever she visited her grandmother's house. It was fading yellow and had many peels and scuffs in the paint. It still worked, though, and was one of the many reasons Jenny refused to get a cell phone. Not like she had anyone she ever wanted to call, anyway.

Jenny traced her hands along the familiar dial and looked at the other contents of the night stand. There was a half eaten box of chocolates her neighbor had given her when she returned, an empty box of tissues, more CDs, and a stack of books. Jenny's room was full of books, but she always kept her favorites on her nightstand. She had a bent and worn copy of _Naked Lunch _next to _White Fang _and _Call of The Wild_, which were on top of a few more, including _The Secret Life of Bees, Like Water for Chocolate, _and, of course, the staple to any intellectual teenagers library, _The Catcher in the Rye. _Closest to her telephone and radio is were she kept the current book she was reading. Now it held a small pile of Christian love stories. She had picked them up at a garage sale a few months before she left, and had read about one-third of them. They were the kind of books that could have easily been a Lifetime movie in the early 2000s, yet for some reason Jenny thoroughly enjoyed them. She hadn't had the interest quite yet to continue reading them since she returned, however. She focused her attention back to her phone. She picked it up, and before she dialed the number she had in mind, she hesitated.

Jenny had asked around persistently for Ralph's current address, and had pestered the administration at Ralph's new boarding school where he and other survivors from the island had been sent. Jenny laughed at how stupid that was. She knew none of the boys would ever have enough balls to rat on each other, though. The deaths of the island had been marked as accidents. She sent her number to Ralph, and put a note underneath it telling him to call her once he had received it. She had it expressed mailed, and Ralph obediently called her a soon as he got it, just like he said. Jenny relished in Ralph's dependability. She kept that conversation short and sweet though, just asking for his number back. She wrote it down as he told it to her, and then hung up immediately. He'd call back, but she'd only answer; "in a little bit" and hang up again.

Jenny reclined on her bed, stuffing another chocolate in her mouth, still holding the phone receiver. Jenny bit into the chocolate, feeling it crack open. The foul taste of orange filling spread in her mouth and she gagged, spitting it out in her trashcan, right underneath her nightstand. She drank some of her water, flushing the taste out of her mouth. She hated those chocolates with orange fillings more than anything. She flicked on the alarm clock radio. She adjusted the tuner until it was on her favorite collage radio station. She listened closely as she recognized the ending of "Pretty In Pink." Jenny waited for the next song. Once the radio told her the weather and traffic stats, the next tune came on. Her blood spiked. It was Weezer; "Say it Ain't So" God, she loved that song. She still held the receiver. It hung in her hand like a dead weight. She popped another chocolate into her mouth, this time relieved to find it was caramel.

Finally, when the song was over, Jenny put her hand back on the dial. She felt around for a sticky note she had put on the side of the phone. The metal was cool. She located the sticky note quickly. It had Ralph's phone number on it. It was a really weird number with a Liverpool area code, which was were Ralph and some of the others new boarding school was. They had two people in each room, and they both shared one phone. Jenny hoped she got the right person. She didn't know who Ralph's roommate was, and she had no intentions on finding out from first hand experience. She dialed the number and held her breath. After several rings, someone picked up.

"Hullo?" It was Ralph's self-assured voice. Jenny was instantly relieved. She started breathing heavily, panting almost. "Uh, I'm sorry, did you reach the wrong number?" Jenny laughed at Ralph's nervous response. She spoke. "Hey Ralph." She could almost hear Ralph's smile. "You're not going to hand up on me this time, are you? I was getting distraught." Jenny turned down the volume on her radio. The Shins were starting to play. "No, not yet. So anyway, how are things going back in lovely Liverpool?" Jenny shifted the phone to her other ear and ate another chocolate. This one was a truffle, and she did not spit it out. "Oh not too bad. But God, it's so freaky. I'm going to go batty, I swear. And you'll never guess who's my roommate. The people here must have been dropped on their heads as children-" Suddenly, a voice cut off Ralph's. The voice was unmistakable. "Talking on the phone again, Ralph? Are you trying to call Jenny? You are, aren't you? You know, she's going to think you're a stalker or something." It was, without a doubt, the voice of Jack. Ralph was right, Jenny thought. The administration probably were dropped on their heads as children.


End file.
